Filtered Showerheads & Your Vaginal pH

Filtered Showerheads & Your Vaginal pH

In the past year, the world has gone crazy about the benefits of a filtered showerhead protecting your hair and skin from hard water.  Brands like Canopy, a dermatologist-recommended brand, are on the forefront of bringing healthier water to your skin.

Filtered showerheads are easy to install and designed to remove impurities from tap water like chlorine, heavy metals and other impurities to make hard water better support healthy hair and skin.

Highly sensitive skin is down below too

Let’s pause for a moment on our skin.

Our skin is the largest organ protecting the body from the outside world.  It covers every inch of the body from head to toe.  The epidermis keeps our skin hydrated while producing new skins cells but harsh water limits its ability to do so correctly.  By the time water leaves your local municipality and reaches your showerhead, it hardens from treatments and picks up impurities along the way.  

 

Did you know?  Your skin and hair’s healthiest pH is around 4.7-5.75.

 

The pH of tap water, on average, is 3 levels higher than what’s considered healthiest for your skin and hair.  The pH within the US’s tap water has been reported to be an average of 7.5-8 causing less than ideal outcomes.

 

What you may experience is: 

  • Dryness, redness, and irritation on your scalp and skin
  • Loss in professional color treatments
  • Hair breakage

Skin pH matters

    So, knowing our skin covers us everywhere and our unfiltered showerhead is causing irritation and changes to our skin’s pH, it isn’t too shocking that your vulnar health could be suffering as a result.  Studies have shown Vulvar pH could be expected to fall between that of skin (pH 4.7) and the vagina (an average pH 3.5).  If hard water impacts our skin, it could result in an itchy vulva and irritation.

     

    Fact:  Your vulva’s pH is different than your vaginal pH - which is also known to fluctuate based on your menstrual cycle.

     

    Science has not yet identified an ideal pH as the menstrual cycle impacts vaginal pH with reports ranging from 3.8 to 4.2 during menstruation. If you are in perimenopause or menopause, your vaginal health could be already be experiencing changes making your vagina more susceptible to environmental irritants.

     

    Fact:   Your vaginal wall is made of mucosal tissue - similar to the sensitive tissue that lines your mouth, nose and digestive tract.

     

    If your pain persists for an extended period of time, it is best to seek medical advice and care from your local healthcare provider. 

    How can you help your vaginal pH and address irritation?

    • pH washes can help hydrate the skin while offsetting hard water’s pH
    • You guessed it - a filtered showerhead
    • Topical vaginal gels and moisturizers can help replenish with calming additions such as Aloe Vera
    • Private Packs’ vulva pack can help provide the feeling of relief from irritation and dryness

    When experiencing vulva pain, it can be all consuming impacting your overall well-being. While you navigate the cause, it helps to start adjusting environmental factors like hard water to limit irritating triggers.  A filtered shower head and having your Private Packs’ vulva pack can help manage your wellness and comfort.

     

    Why Private Packs’ vulva pack?

    Private Packs’ vulva pack when kept in the freezer can help provide a cool relief feeling.  Cold use slows blood flow helping numb any irritation or pain.  

    When used in warm application, your vulva pack helps enhance blood flow.  This results in making the epidermis become more malleable helping enhance your skin’s receptivity to vaginal moisturizers and gels.

     

    In Summary

    As you navigate your managing your wellness, it’s best to eliminate sources of irritants.  Having solutions that help you feel relief and remove potential irritants is the right step in helping you and your healthcare provider reach an care plan that’s right for you.

     

    Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes and is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a physician or medical advice. Private Packs recommends making healthcare decisions based in partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.  Use as directed.  Always read the instructions.

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